Skeleton Women (33 page)

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Authors: Mingmei Yip

Tags: #General Fiction

BOOK: Skeleton Women
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“I didn’t know that you could cook.”
Jinying smiled mischievously, and I felt dangerously attracted to him.
“There are still a lot of things we need to find out about each other, aren’t there?”
This last remark gave me a small jolt of anxiety. I wanted to find out more about him and his father, but definitely not the other way around.
Preoccupied with what Wang’s so-far invisible men might be doing, I was in no mood to hear Jinying chatter about his cooking, but I did my best to look interested.
“I learned to cook during my years in America. My friends and I alternated cooking for one another, sometimes even gourmet dishes. It’s a lot of fun. I especially love to listen to music while I cook.” He smiled meaningfully. “Camilla, I may have a rich father, but I am not spoiled.”
Of course, compared to myself and Shadow, he was quite spoiled, but I kept that thought to myself. Though I was curious to know more about his life in America, I wanted to avoid our talk becoming more personal.
As soon as Jinying went upstairs with our luggage, I went to the windows to look for any sign of Wang’s men. As far as I could tell, there was nobody around. Next I took a quick tour of Lung’s house, starting with his spacious, book-lined library. I was sure the leather-bound books that filled its shelves were only for decoration. There seemed to be plenty of places here where he could hide secret papers. My eyes scanned the room to plan what to search when I had a chance later. I paid special attention to the bookshelves, as well as the paintings and calligraphy hanging on the walls. I also peeked into vases and other receptacles but saw nothing unusual. Next was the dining room, where there was nothing unusual either.
When I walked back to the living room, I noticed an antique scholar’s table against the wall. On top of it was the usual scholar’s paraphernalia: a brush stand in the shape of a mountain with three hills, a roll of rice paper, a lotus-shaped ink stone, and a set of three ink sticks engraved with the scholar’s “three friends”—bamboo, pine, and plum blossom.
In the corner next to the table was an imposing grandfather clock. Although I doubted that Lung would notice or care, this seemed not to fit with the rest of the décor. Yet I found it attractive in an odd, ponderous way. Still, it seemed to belong in a Western household rather than here. The reddish brown wood was finely grained and polished so it was as smooth as a young woman’s skin. The polished metal pendulum shone with a mysterious luster. But what I liked most of all was its powerful and mysterious presence.
Two red scrolls beside the clock were inscribed with a couplet,
Ten thousand taels of gold; money rushing in like a river.
To my exploring eyes, the writing table and the grandfather clock stood out, as they should have been in the library. Moreover, the perfectly arranged scholar’s objects looked more like props than for use. Then why were they here?
I studied the clock and the table for long moments before I went up to inspect the timepiece more closely. I found myself fascinated by the luminous, mirrorlike pendulum. Then in it I saw Jinying’s reflection behind mine, our faces dyed a metallic bronze, as if we inhabited another world even stranger than this one. For a moment, I imagined that we lived in this pendulum world, so we’d be far away from our present tribulations. Then I realized that the pendulum was not swaying and that this other world had stopped sometime in the past.
“Jinying.” I turned to face him. “Do you know that this clock’s not working?”
He nodded. “I told father a few times, but he has never gotten around to having it fixed.”
“But now it’s of no use.”
“He said he bought the clock as an antique, and someday he will have it fixed, but he likes looking at it, anyway.”
“It does look nice.”
“Yes, I like it, too. Only after he bought it did he realize that it was broken. But because he’s superstitious, he doesn’t want to say so. Besides, he can’t stand to think he was cheated.” He paused, then suggested, “Now let me show you the library, unless you are hungry and would rather eat something first.”
Indeed I was getting hungry but was more concerned to continue my survey of the villa. So I told him I would rather see the library, not mentioning that I had already looked it over by myself.
Jinying said, “I really love to come and read here; it’s so calm and quiet. But I don’t have much chance, because this is where my father discusses his business with Zhu.”
“Does he entertain other guests here?”
“No,” Jinying answered sharply. “This house is only to relax or discuss top secret business. No one can know I brought you here. If my father finds out, I don’t want to imagine the consequences.”
“Don’t worry, Jinying, my lips are sealed as tightly as your father’s safe.”
Yes, he must have a safe, but where?
As we walked around, I praised the antique furniture and various curios in the spacious room, but what really occupied my mind was discovering where Lung’s money and accounts were hidden.
When we had finished looking around the library, we walked back into the living room.
Jinying said, “You must be hungry, Camilla. I will fix us some quick noodles, and then I can show you the rest.”
31
The Garden
L
ater, after we had finished our noodles and set our chopsticks down on our gold-rimmed bowls, Jinying said, “Camilla, if you’re not too tired, do you want to see the garden?”
I doubted Lung would hide anything there, but you never know.
So I feigned excitement. “The garden? Of course, I can’t wait!”
“Come,” he said, taking my hand.
Jinying took me through a hidden passageway toward the garden. The secrecy didn’t surprise me, since Lung was paranoid about assassination, and with good reason. I suspected that this must be the route to his most secret hiding place, in case his enemies found out about the villa and pursued him here.
In a few moments we had exited from the passageway into the garden, where we found ourselves beside a huge tree.
Jinying stopped and took my hand. “Camilla, let’s make a pledge under this ancient tree and have it witness our love.”
Maybe he was inspired by Emperor Xuanzong and his beloved concubine Yang, who had pledged their undying love under the ancient moon. But if so, this was a dreadful omen. Didn’t he know that Xuanzong, the most powerful man under heaven, was later forced by his army to kill this woman he loved so immoderately?
But then Jinying began to recite from Bai Juyi’s “Song of Everlasting Sorrow,” a poem that recounts Emperor Xuanzong and concubine Yang’s heartbreaking tragedy:
In the sky, we are two birds flapping our wings side by side.
On earth, we are plants whose roots are forever
interlocked... .
He stopped, and I guessed that these two famous lines were all he, a Western-educated lawyer, knew. Maybe it was a good thing, for the next two lines are:
Even heaven and earth may perish,
But my regret knows no end.
This was the emperor’s bitter remorse, because his most beloved woman had been strangled by his most trusted imperial soldiers. He spent the rest of his life trying to contact her in the other world.
“Camilla, what’s on your mind? Don’t you like the poem?”
Seeing that I didn’t respond, the young master pulled me into his arms and kissed me.
When he let go, I asked, “Jinying, do you really believe that love can conquer all?”
“Of course, and you don’t?”
“I’m a practical person.”
He shook his head. “No, you’re romantic.”
“How are you so sure?”
“Your singing. It is filled with love and dreams.”
Was it possible that he was right about me, and I was wrong? Either way, now that he had said it, I hoped it was true.
I was silent, and finally he said, “Now that we are here together, we can live together in our dream for a few days.”
“But, Jinying, I worry that dreams can turn into nightmares.”
Once Wang’s men arrived, they would find us quickly. Or maybe they already had. I felt my spine turning into an icicle.
Of course Jinying had no idea what was on my mind. “Camilla, what’s wrong with you? Why are you always so pessimistic? Even if you have some insufferable secret, I want you to share your life with me.”
I swallowed my answer,
No, you would not want to share my life if you knew the truth about me
. Instead I said calmly, “Jinying, I’m fine, really.”
He seemed to know that I was not going to promise anything to him, so he silently took my hand, and we continued walking.
Jinying picked a camellia and slid it into my hair. “This is for you. Camilla. You are so beautiful, I wish—”
I put a finger across his lips. “Please, let’s just enjoy this magical moment.”
Silence fell between us until he spoke again, now looking happier. “Camilla, a walk in this garden is an adventure, so be prepared.”
He had no idea that I was always prepared, because I had to be.
As we walked farther into the garden, I was startled to see two tigers pacing in a huge cage. Worse, they looked as if they were seriously considering me as a nice dinner, or perhaps just dim sum. I involuntarily stepped back. Now I remembered the rumor that Lung had fed his enemies and troublesome ex-mistresses to tigers.
Suddenly one of the tigers dashed to the front of the cage and roared through the metal bars as it bared its pointed teeth. Were it a human, I might have bluffed, yelling back to show that I was not afraid. But it was pointless with these beasts who lived only to satisfy their appetites. We are of no interest to them unless they are hungry.
As I was feeling a chill inside, Jinying spoke. “My father keeps these as pets. He thinks they are the most beautiful animals in the world, and he tries to imitate their fierce energy.”
Jinying put a protective arm around me. “You all right? Don’t worry, they cannot escape from their cage.”
But of course the tigers I really feared were the human ones, Lung and Wang, and neither the police nor government officials nor anyone else could confine them.
Jinying went on. “I studied in America, so I’m not superstitious. I don’t believe you can borrow an animal’s energy.” He smiled reassuringly. “I don’t agree with my father about a lot of things. Sometimes he regrets that he sent me to Harvard.’ ”
In the distance, under a pink-blossoming tree, I spotted the golden and turquoise body of a peacock. As if to greet us, it gradually opened its tail like a huge fan. Rather than being soothed by the sight of this beautiful and rare creature, I felt a chill, because I imagined that the countless “eyes” on his fan were spying on me. Could Lung have recruited even this bird to spy for him?
But maybe my imaginings were wrong, for Jinying said, “My father loves the haughty way it struts around like an aristocrat. To him, the ‘eyes’ on the tail look like gold coins, which will bring him good fortune. But, Camilla, I believe that the peacock is spreading its tail for our happy future together. “
“I thought you said you’re not superstitious.”
He smiled handsomely. “But I am happy that I am with you now.“
He looked so pleased, I had not the heart to challenge him about our “happy” future.
We kept walking until we came to a fine mesh cage under some trees. Within it snakes glided and writhed. A dark green one hissed at me, intimidating, spitting out a crimson venomous tongue, like a hit man’s blood-dripping knife. Another snake, dark yellow with long stripes, coiled its body regally on a flat rock as if it were Guan Yin meditating on a Zen cushion. I wondered, could a snake be one of the many transformations of the Goddess of Compassion reaching out to enlighten?
Did she have a message for me? Could it be the famous Buddhist saying, “Put down the knife, then become a Buddha,” meaning that even a murderer can give up evil and be redeemed?
But I thought it might be too late for me. And even if I wanted to be redeemed, did I have a chance?
It was too disturbing to think about this, so I looked up at Jinying and asked instead, “Why does he keep snakes?”
Definitely these creatures were not, like the grandfather clock, here to please the eye. I wondered if, like the tigers, they might be murder weapons to be used against Lung’s enemies. But I kept this thought to myself.
“They’re for food. In winter my father likes to eat snake soup. He also gulps down the bitter gall, then drinks the blood mixed with his liquor. He believes these will strengthen his blood and his virility... .” Jinying stopped, looking upset, no doubt because this was unpleasant reminder that I was the recipient of his father’s virile energy.
Just then the snake with the blood-red tongue hissed at me again, as if saying, “I know what you are, Camilla, skeleton woman!”
For the Chinese, snakes symbolize evil. Skeleton women are referred to as having “a snake’s heart and intestines.”
I felt a jolt and stepped back. The Guan Yin snake still seemed to meditate placidly, as if having overcome all greed and anger.
Jinying put his arm around my shoulders again. “Let’s move on. I don’t want them to scare you.”
But what I felt was not fear but agitation, because the two snakes seemed to know just what my mind was grappling with.
Just then the sky suddenly turned dark, and Jinying suggested we return to the house. We had just made it through the door of the villa when the rain began to pour heavily, hammering at the doors and windows like hungry ghosts frantically trying to return to the world of the living.
Once inside, Jinying led me upstairs and gave me a quick tour. There were one master bedroom and two guest rooms, all elaborately decorated. I tried my best to take in everything, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. However, this was Lung’s hideout, so his secrets
must
be hidden here somewhere.
But where?
Finally Jinying led me back to the master bedroom. When I sat down on the king-size bed, I saw a red velvet box next to me.
“Jinying, there’s a box here.”
He smiled mysteriously. “It’s for you. Open it.”
The elongated box opened with a click of my finger to reveal a pearl necklace and a matching bracelet. All the pearls were of matching size, roundness, and luster, glistening mysteriously in the lamplight.
“Camilla, do you like them?”
I nodded, feeling an unbearable sadness. While he was feeling amorous in this gorgeous mansion with his beloved woman, I was envisioning the terrible scene that would unfold if his father arrived here. I secretly prayed that Lung would go back to his house in Junfu Lane instead of here. But if Lung did not come here and get killed, what would happen to me? I had no idea as I listened to the rain hiss as if heaven were lamenting my doom.
“Let me put them on for you.”
He turned me slightly so we both faced the mirror. “Camilla, see how flawlessly beautiful you are, just like these pearls?”
“Thank you very much, Jinying,” I said softly. I didn’t know what more to say, for I really wanted to take them off right away. They implied that I was flawless, but I was anything but; I was bad and poisonous, a skeleton woman, period.
I wanted to scream to Jinying, “Young Master, even the snake knew who I really am! How come you can’t see that?”
But of course Jinying had no idea what was going on in my mind or in my life. He looked at us in the mirror with an ingenuous smile.
He held my shoulders with both hands, then rested his chin on my head. “I love you, Camilla.”
I smiled back at his reflection but said nothing.
“All right. I’m going to cook now. You look tired, Camilla, so why don’t you take a nap? I’ll come up to wake you for dinner.”
This was the sort of opportunity I had been waiting for. “I’ll nap for an hour.” I said, while having no intention of doing so at all.
Once he disappeared down the stairs, I began to snoop around. Fifteen minutes later, after looking everywhere—in drawers, under the beds, inside the lamps, behind paintings, and even the water tank inside the bathroom—I still had not found a safe or anything else that looked like a secure hiding place.
When I heard Jinying calling me from downstairs, I hurried back to lie on the bed, feigning sleep. As soon as he entered the room, I pretended that I had just awakened.
“You already finished cooking?” I asked, groggily rubbing my eyes.
“Not quite. But if you’re not too hungry yet, there’s another interesting place for me to show you.”
“Is there even more here to explore? What is this place?”
“You’ll soon find out. Come on,” Jinying said, pulling me off the bed.
In no time we had climbed down another flight of stairs into the basement. Jinying threw a switch, flooding the underground chamber with light and revealing its grandeur. Myriad crystals sparkled on an enormous chandelier. The densely grained floor, though covered with a light layer of dust, was polished to perfection, like a mirror reflecting its own illusions. A few paintings were scattered along the walls.
As I was wondering what was this room for, the young master went to a corner where a gramophone sat upon an antique Chinese table. Immediately the space was filled with a dreamy waltz. Jinying walked back to me, pulled me close to him, and we began to swirl.
“This is my father’s private ballroom.”
“Jinying, if this is a private mansion, why did your father build a ballroom—surely not to hold parties?”
“Of course not. He built this many years ago for my mother. They loved to practice their dance steps here. It was their secret paradise.”
“Oh, how romantic.” Did Lung really have a tender side? If so, I had never seen it.
“Then what happened? Why did he send her away?” I asked.
“I think my father just got tired of her.”
But the son looked like he would never lose his romantic feelings for me, as he continued to waltz me around the polished floor that his parents had twirled across so many years ago. I felt exultant, though I tried to tell myself it was but a false happiness induced by the sumptuous music and the glittering chandelier. If only the rest of my life were but a bad dream from which I was now awakening ...

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